The Sabi Ensemble releases its debut album From The Heart - music by Coleridge-Taylor and Louise Farrenc - with Penny Fiddle Records, distributed in partnership with Ulysses Arts, on 24 October 2025 (PFR202503CD).
Click above to download on iTunes with digital booklet or stream on Apple Music
'Should [imaginative art] not come from the heart as well as the brain?'
Samuel Coleridge‐Taylor, 1911
Samuel Coleridge‐Taylor, 1911
This poignant question—posed by Coleridge‐Taylor months before his death— encapsulates the emotional core of the Sabi Ensemble’s debut album, From The Heart.
The SABI ENSEMBLE, founded in 2024 by historical bassist Carina Cosgrave, is committed to reviving works by composers whose work has been unjustly forgotten and placing this music from the margins centre stage. The programme celebrates two 150th anniversaries and is the first time Coleridge-Taylor’s music has been recorded on period instruments.
The SABI ENSEMBLE, founded in 2024 by historical bassist Carina Cosgrave, is committed to reviving works by composers whose work has been unjustly forgotten and placing this music from the margins centre stage. The programme celebrates two 150th anniversaries and is the first time Coleridge-Taylor’s music has been recorded on period instruments.
The Sabi Ensemble
The album features two of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s expressive Novelletten - rarely heard works arranged by the SABI ENSEMBLE that reveal his sharp craft and lyrical voice; his Nonet - a student composition which cemented his status as a breathtaking composer at the young age of 18; and Louise Farrenc’s Nonet - a powerful piece written at the height of her career. After the death of her daughter, Farrenc ceased composing—her creative life halted by grief.
Together, these works frame a recording that acknowledges not only artistic brilliance, but the personal stories behind it. Using historically-informed performances on period instruments, From The Heart offers listeners a window into the expressive richness of neglected repertoire— interpreted with care and curiosity.
Together, these works frame a recording that acknowledges not only artistic brilliance, but the personal stories behind it. Using historically-informed performances on period instruments, From The Heart offers listeners a window into the expressive richness of neglected repertoire— interpreted with care and curiosity.
Launch Concerts
18th October 2025 - Showcase Event, Classically Black at Kings Place, London
25th October 2025 Parish Church of Ascension, Plumstead, London
Track List
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875-1912), Nonet in F minor, Op. 2
1. Allegro moderato
2. Andante con moto
3. Scherzo: Allegro
4. Finale: Allegro vivace
Louise Farrenc (1804-1875), Nonet in E-flat, Op. 38
5. Adagio - Allegro
6. Andante con moto
7. Scherzo: Vivace
8. Adagio
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor arr. SABI ENSEMBLE
9. Novelletten IV
10. Novelletten II
Musicians
Catherine Martin (1st violin), Persephone Gibbs (2nd violin)
Clifton Harrison (viola), Sarah McMahon ('cello), Carina Cosgrave (double bass)
Rosie Bowker (flute) Leo Duarte (oboe) Fiona Mitchell (clarinet), Rebecca Hammond (bassoon), Nivanthi Karunaratne (horn), Olivia Sham (piano)
Piano Technician: Edmund Pickering
Recording Producer: Holly Harman
Sound Engineer, mixing & mastering: John Croft, Chiaro Audio
Recording venue Ascension Church, Plumstead, London 8-10 January 2025